Advertising device



' April 6, 1937. o. D. .JENNINGS ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Deo. 2l, 1936 SR.. ,mmv m uw w mmf J m H e d 0 Y B m .9 s I V m A 8 7 Patented Apr. 6, 1937 PATENT OFFlCE ADVERTISING DEVICE 0de D. Jennings, Chicago, Ill., assignor to 0. D. Jennings & Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 21, 1936, Serial No. 116,950

9 Claims.

This invention relates to advertising devices, and more particularly to movable display mechanism for use with vending machines such as scales and the like.

Among the important objects of the invention is the provision of a transparent housing with rotatable legend-bearing means therein, a source of illumination within the housing, and power means for rotating the legend-bearing means so as to cyclically present different legends or displays to the observer.

Another and more specific object of the invention is the provision of a cylindrical glass housing member having an attaching dome with sight openings therein, through which the observer may see an indicating device and having a rotatable sign-bearing device with illuminating means disposed interiorly of the sign-bearing device in such that the matter displayed by said sign member may at all times be visible through said glass housing, the novel device further having power-driven means for moving the sign-bearing means so as to move the display matter before the vision of the observer and thus attract his attention and also present a variety of matter for his inspection.

Other novel aspects and objects of the invention will be made apparent as the following description proceeds in view of the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the device shown partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section along line 2 of Fig. l; while Fig. 3 is an elevational detail of the copy frame; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragment of a horizontal section through one of the copy frame members, as seen along lines 4--4 of Fig. 3.

While it is to be understood that the novel advertising device of my invention is applicable to a variety of combinations with devices other than weighing scales, I have chosen a machine of the latter class for purposes of illustration and in Fig. .1. I show a weighing scale having a pedestal I 0 and a stanchion or standard I2 surmounted by a base member I4 which supports the mechanism of the present invention. Such a scale is shown in greater detail in my U. S. Patent 1,370,724.

Referring still to Fig. 1, a cylindrical glass or light-transparent member I6 rests in an annular seat I8 at the top of the base I4 and is provided at its upper extremity with a dome 20 having a lower annular rim 22 in which is a circumferentially disposed groove 24 adapted to receive the upper edge portions of the glass cylinder I6. The dome member 20 is likewise provided with an annular opening 26 at its upper extremity, and this opening is bordered by a circular flange or channel 28 iny which is seated a glass or otherwise transparent ring 30 of lesser dimension than the main cylinder I6, both in diameter and height. A smaller dome or cover plate 32, having an annular channel or groove 34 adjacent its lower edge portion, rits upon the upper cylinder 3D with the upper edge portions thereof in the grooving 34.

Both the main dome 20 and the smaller dome or cover 32 are desirably made of metal, and the main dome member in addition to having the upper circular opening 26 is also provided with an inset portion 36 in its side wall regions, and this inset portion in turn is provided with a pair of angularly disposed sight openings 38 and 4Q, the former lying in a substantially horizontal plane and looking in a direction downwardly within the cylindrical housing i6, while the opening 40 is disposed in a substantially vertical plane and looks in a direction horizontally into said housing.

The dome cover member 32 has depending from its inner surface a boss 42 into which is threaded an end portion of a Spanner rod 44, the opposite extremity of which terminates in a flange 46 in the bottom portion of the scale pedestal lil and is secured in place by means of a nut 41 threaded onto its end. In its passage downwardly through the center of the housing I5, the Spanner rod 44 may desirably pass through a guiding bracket 45 attached to a boss 43.

An annular base ring 5i has a iiange portion 52 around its outer peripheral regions seated in the annular ilange portion I8 of the base member I4, and disposed radially of the center of this base ring are a plurality or rollers liti pivotally seated in equally spaced, extruded body portions 56 of the ring and rotatable in a vertical plane. The base ring further is provided with horizontally extensive web portions 5l from which extend upwardly the bosses i3 and from which depends a cross stirrup 58, the latter cooperating with a bracket 59 attached thereto and to the bottom` surface portieri of the base ring to support a motor 60.

The copy frame includes a bottom frame annulus 62 having gear teeth @t disposed in the manner of a ring gear about its peripheral edge portions, and having a roller track 5d disposed in its lower horizontal surface portions for the reception of the several rollers 54. Extending vertically from the base annulus 62 are a plurality of upright frame members 86 having angled portions @l at their respective extremities, and being conveniently attached to the base annulus E2 and to an upper rim or annulus 65 by means of screws E8 or the like extended through these angled portions into their respective annular frame members.

Transparent or translucent copy placards 'a' (Fig. 3) may conveniently be positioned in a cylindrical copy frame by means of clamp strips 'l2 (Figs. 8 and 4) in the form of elongated metal strips having a longitudinally extensive central depression or channel 'I4 ilanked by longitudinally extensive edge portions l5 struck-up slightly from the level of the bottom surface of the central channel portion, the strips being attached by means of screws i8 threaded into the upstanding bracket members 66 which interconnect the two annular end portions of the frame.

When the clamp strips 'I2 are screwed into place as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the bottom of the central channel or depression of each strip bears against the surface of the bracket 66, while a longitudinally extensive slot or channel Ti is formed between the surface of the bracket 56 and the inner surface of the struckup edge portions li in such manner that the copy cards 'IQ may be secured in place with their vertical edge portions disposed in these slots l?, the cards being exed into position or being first placed in position and having the clamp 'i2 screwed into place. In this manner cards or placards, which n are either translucent or transparent and which may bear a variety of legends or copy, are easily positioned on the cylindrical carrier frame which is adapted to be slightly rotated by the motor B0 drivingly connected through a suitable speed reducer 6I and a pinion 5|', which in turn meshes with the inner ring gear E3 so as to cause the frame annulus 62 on which this gearing is formed to be rotated on the rollers 54.

Disposed interiorly of the display drum or cylinder, is an illuminating means in the form of electric lights extended from a pair of oppositely extending sockets 8i) supported by a bracket BI, which in turn extends upwardly from the bracket and boss structure i3-45. The electric lights may be energized by conductors led down through the display drum and the scale stanchion, and serve to illuminate the translucent copy placards carried in the rotating placard frame.

In the illustrative embodiment shown, a scale indicating drum 85 operatively connected with scale mechanism, generally indicated at 86, is positioned interiorly of the placard drum. or frame at a point just below the horizontal sight opening 38 in the main dome 2@ so as to be easily read by one standing on the pedestal id. The companion sight opening 40 immediately above the opening 38, may be utilized for any advertising or instruction purpose and may have secured in reading position therebehind an instruction card or a card bearing a table of average weights, for example, and such card may be translucent so as to be illuminated by the lamps in sockets 83 in the same manner as placard ID.

In addition to the foregoing novel luminous effects to be achieved in the case of the illuminated copy placards and illuminated matter positioned relative to the sight opening Lid, the translucent or transparent dome collar 33 between cap 32 and the dome 2! likewise gives a pleasing and novel luminous effect which may be utilized simply for decorative purposes or which may be employed to the same useful purpose as in the case of the glass housing cylinder i6; that is to say, advertising copy or the like may be conveniently positioned interiorly of the glass ring 36 for illumination from the aforesaid interior light source.

While I have described my novel advertising device in conjunction with a weighing scale, it is to be understood that its use is not limited to such an application, nor is the invention restricted to the particular structural details recited herein for purposes of illustration. The invention is to be interpreted in the light of the appended claims and extended to all variations, modiiications, and combinations coming within the scope of these claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. An advertising device including a hollow base member, an annular base ring positioned interiorly of said base member and having a plurality of spaced rollers with their axes disposed substantially in a horizontal direction, a cylindrically-shaped placard frame having open vertical wall portions rotatably carried on said rollers, a glass cylinder supported on said base member and surrounding said frame, a source of light within said frame, a shell-like dome surmounting said glass cylinder, a glass ring surmounting said dome and a cap member surmounting said ring, a tensioning member attached to the inner side of said cap member and extended interiorly of said frame and base member and adapted to secure the said base member, glass cylinder, dome, glass ring and cap in assembled relation as aforesaid, together with driven means for rotating said frame within said glass cylinder whereby translucent copy cards in said frame may be viewed exteriorly of said glass cylinder and moved across the vision of the observer.

2. In combination, a weighing machine having a pedestal and an upstanding hollow standard, and an advertising device including a transparent cylinder seated on said standard at the upper extremity thereon, a dome member surmounting said cylinder and having a sight opening, scale indicating means positioned below said sight opening, and means including a ring-like member surmounting said dome and a cap surmounting said ring-like member, together with a member attached to the interior of said cap and to said weighing machine for clamping the dome and cylinder against said standard, together with a rotatable legend-bearing member within said cylinder, and power-driven means for rotating said legend-bearing member.

3. In combination, a weighing machine having a pedestal and a hollow standard upstanding therefrom, and an advertising device in the form of a cylindrical housing surmounting said standard and having a vertically disposed glass cylinder seated in the upper end of said standard with a dome surmounting said cylinder, said dome having a sight opening therein and end closure means in the form of a cap member removably seated on the upper extremity of the dome and having a clamping member attached to the inner surface thereof and extended downwardly through said housing for attachment to said weighing machine, and the latter having weight indicating means disposed interiorly of said housing and below said CTI sight opening, a drum-like placard-bearing member rotatably positioned within said housing and having light-penetrable wall portions, a source of illumination in said housing and interiorly of 5 said placard-bearing drum, together with driven means for rotating said drum.

4. In combination, a weighing machine including a pedestal and a standard upstanding frame, and an advertising device in the form of a glass l walled housing extended from the upper end of said standard and surmounted by a dome structure including a sight opening, said scale having an indicating member movably positioned below said sight opening within said housing, a rotatable l frame within said housing and adapted to carry translucent copy or advertising cards, illuminating means supported interiorly of said frame for the illumination of said cards, and power driven means for rotating said frame.

5. In combination with a device having an upstanding base member and indicating mechanism disposed at the upper end of said base member, an advertising device comprising a glass cylinder seated in the upper end of said base member and surmounted by a dome structure including a member having a sight opening positioned relative to said indicating mechanism whereby the latter may be Viewed therethrough, a drum-like frame having open vertical side wall portions and disposed for rotation within said cylinder, a source of illumination disposed substantially within said drum-like frame, the latter being adapted to support translucent advertising cards in the open side Wall portion thereof so as to be illuminated by said source of illumination, together with power driven means drivingly associated with said frame to rotate the latter before said cylinder.

6. A device of the class described including a weighing pedestal, a hollow upstanding base member attached thereto, an indicating drum rotatable in a substantially vertical plane by mechanism operably associated with said pedestal, said indicating drum being positioned above said fi-5 base member, a transparent cylinder seated in the upper end portion of said base member and having a main dome member with a sight opening positioned above said indicating drum and further having a ring-like transparent member sur- 53 mounting the same, said ring-like member in turn being surmounted by a closure, clamping means including a member attached to the inner part oi said closure and extended exteriorly of said cylinder for attachment to said pedestal and base structure whereby the said dome structure may be clamped axially against said cylinder to secure the latter in position on said base member, and mechanism disposed within said cylinder and including a drum-like frame rotatable substanfo tially eo-axially of said cylinder and having open peripheral areas and means for securing translucent copy cards over said open areas, light means Within said frame to illuminate said copy cards, and power driven means enclosed Within y said base member and surmounting cylinder and dome structure for rotating said frame.

rl. A device of the class described including a Weighing pedestal and base member upstanding therefrom with movable indicating mechanism cooperable with said weighing pedestal and disposed at the upper end of said base member and the like having an annular rim formed at the upper end of same, a base ring seated within said rim and having roller means thereon, a glass cylinder having its lower edge portions seated within said rim on said ring, an open ended dome surmounting said cylinder and having a sight opening through which said indicating mechanism may be viewed, a ring-like member surmounting the upper open end of said dome, a caplike closure surmounting said ring-like member, a transverse rod threaded into said cap member and extended downwardly through said cylinder and attached to said base member whereby said dome and cylinder may be clamped against said base member, a copy frame including an annularly-shaped bottom member having gear teeth formed on the inner periphery of the annulus and the latter having track means engageable with said rollers, an upper axial end member, a plurality of axially directed frame members attached to said annularly-shaped bottom member and to said upper axial end member, clamping strips secured against said frame members and adapted to hold advertising cards in position between said annularly-shaped bottom member and said upper axial end member, together with motor means supported from said base ring and having driving engagement with said gear teeth.

8. A combination advertising device and Weighing scale including a weighing pedestal, a standard, a weight-indicating drum at the upper part of said standard and operably associated with said weighing pedestal, a transparent housing surmounting said standard and having a substantially horizontal sight opening positioned above said indicating drum, a rotatable placard frame within said housing, means for illuminating placards on said frame, and power driven means for rotating said placard frame.

9. A combination advertising device and weighing scale including a weighing pedestal and scale mechanism operable thereby, a standard upstanding from said pedestal, a base ring seated in the upper end of said standard and having circumferentially spaced roller means thereon, a transparent cylinder also seated in the upper end of said standard and on said base ring, a dome structure surmounting said cylinder and including a member having a sight opening, a weight indicator positioned within said cylinder in viewing position before said sight opening and operably connected with said weighing mechanism, a copy frame including an annular bottom member having an inner peripheral ring part with gear teeth, and disposed for rotation on said roller means substantially co-axially with said cylinder, frame members extended in an axial direction from, and in circumferentially spaced relation about, said annular bottom member, and an end member attached to the upper extremities of said frame member, means cooperable with said frame members for securing advertising copy cards to the latter in circumferentially disposed manner about the axis of rotation thereof, motor means drivingly engaging said gear teeth and supported from said base ring, and illuminating means disposed interiorly of said cylinder for illuminating said cards.

ODE D. JENNINGS. 

